The hospice sports bar where illness takes a back seat
By Charities Correspondent
For an hour and a half each month, illness takes a back seat at City Hospice.
Instead, the conversation is about sport.
The Cardiff hospice's Sports Bar brings patients, carers and sporting guests together to watch clips, swap stories and debate the games they love — all over a few non-alcoholic drinks and, most importantly, in an atmosphere where people can simply enjoy themselves.
The idea began with Trevor, a former City Hospice patient whose love of sport inspired the creation of a dedicated space at the hospice in Whitchurch.
During the final months of his life, the Sports Bar gave Trevor somewhere he could forget about being ill for a while and simply talk about the sports and athletes he enjoyed.
That idea has grown into a monthly event, held on the first Monday of every month, and it has already welcomed some impressive names from the world of sport.
Nigel Walker, Nicky Piper, David Giles, Matthew Maynard, Craig Quinnell, Shane Williams, Colin Jackson and Jamie Baulch have all taken part.
In July, rugby legend Sir Gareth Edwards and his wife Maureen joined the group, where the conversation turned to his career from his schooldays through to playing for Wales and the Barbarians.
“It’s fantastic that an initiative like this exists, bringing patients and carers together to bond over their passion for sport,” said Sir Gareth.
“It turns what we traditionally perceive hospice care to be on its head.”
For one regular, that's exactly what makes the afternoon so special.
“The first Monday of the month is one of my favourites,” they said. “I’ve been coming to the Sports Bar since April and I love it!”
Meeting Sir Gareth was a highlight, but the real value was having something else to focus on.
“For me though, it’s more than that – it’s time to think about something other than my illness, and that’s priceless.”
The Sports Bar is part of City Hospice's wider Living Well programme, which includes carers' cafés, bereavement walking groups, craft sessions and digital skills workshops.
The activities are designed around a simple idea: hospice care isn't only about managing illness. It's also about helping people make the most of the time they have, stay connected and continue doing the things that bring them joy.
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Deborah Ho, Head of Day Hospice and Wellbeing Services at City Hospice, said the programme had grown directly from conversations with patients about what they wanted.
“We listened intently to our patients to create these events and special moments that they can look forward to each month,” she said.
The result is a rather different kind of hospice gathering — one where patients and sporting heroes meet on what really is a level playing field, united simply by a love of sport.
And for an afternoon, that's all that matters.
